Vote Derreck Ogden
for Stuart City Commissioner
Tuesday · August 18, 2026
Protect What Makes Stuart Special
Responsible growth. Protected waterways. A Stuart that still feels like Stuart — for our kids and theirs.
Grassroots. Not bought. Capped at $100 per donor.
I'm just a Stuart guy trying to keep Stuart, Stuart.
I've lived in Stuart for more than twenty years. My daughter was born here. I grew up nearby in Jupiter and watched the same kind of overdevelopment slowly erase a lot of what made South Florida special — the quiet waterways, the mangroves, the wildlife, the old-Florida feel.
I'm running for City Commission because I want Stuart to still feel like Stuart when my daughter grows up — so she can raise her family here too.
I'm not here to shake things up. Things have been shaken pretty hard already over the last eight years. Thousands of apartments built. A massive Costco complex with several hundred more apartments going in. Traffic on Kanner Highway is already stop-and-go, and most of what's been approved hasn't even broken ground yet.
My job, if I'm elected, is to slow this down, hold the line on zoning and land classification changes, and make sure the people who already live here come before developers and special interests.
- 20+ years in Stuart
- Father, raising his daughter here
- Runs a nationwide IT & compliance business
- Background in municipal contract work
- No developer money. No PAC money.
Where I Stand
Specifics, not slogans. Here's what I'll actually do on the Commission.
This Is the Last Small Town on This Stretch of the Coast
"Once it's gone, you don't get it back."
St. Lucie County is to the north. Palm Beach County is to the south. Look at what's happened to Pompano Beach. Look at Deerfield. Look at Delray Avenue. That's the road Stuart is on if we don't slow down.
Eventually developers win some of these fights. That's just how it works. But how long it takes us to get there — and how much of Stuart is left when we do — depends on who's sitting on the City Commission and whether they have the spine to vote no.
A weak commission attracts the wrong kind of buyer. If a developer thinks they can steamroll five commissioners into changing zoning every time they show up with a project, they'll keep buying land in Stuart on speculation. A strong commission that holds the line on the Comprehensive Plan changes the math — and the wrong kind of developer stops coming here.
I'm not against growth. I'm against irresponsible growth. There's a difference, and Stuart deserves leaders who know it.
Real Questions From Stuart Voters
Help Keep Stuart, Stuart
Stuart commission elections are decided by a small number of votes. Showing up matters. Whether you can knock on doors, hold a sign on the corner, post on Facebook, or just vote — we need you.
Grassroots. Capped at $100.
No developer money. No PAC money. No chamber money. Just Stuart neighbors.
Maximum contribution per person: $100. Contributions are not tax-deductible. Paid for by Derreck Ogden for City of Stuart Commissioner.
Talk to Derreck
If you've got a question, a concern, or you think I'm wrong about something — I want to hear it. That's how I get better at this job.
derreck@savestuart.com